Find Your Rhythm
by Mewglegirl
Summary: Neku has always done his best to hide his amazing dance skills, but Agent Spin knows a good recruit when he sees one. Needless to say, Neku has one heck of an adventure ahead of him.
1. Chapter 1

_I'm not afraid of things_

_I don't believe in anything_

_Same thing goes every day_

_The brick of superstitions_

_And I seem to be so unreal..._

Beat pressed his ear to the wall. He couldn't help but tap his foot to the driving beats of the song he was hearing. The skateboarder didn't recognize the song, but he sure as hell liked it. Neku sure knew how to jam. Before he knew it, Beat was lost in the rock, his eyes closed and his head bobbing quickly to the beat.

"Hey Beat, what are you doing?"

"BWAAAHHH! Don't scare me like that, yo!"

Beat nearly fell on his face from pure shock when Shiki snuck up behind him. Her motives were innocent, at least. Shiki smiled apologetically and adjusted her glasses. "I just asked what you were doing, Beat. Sorry."

"You finna give me a heart attack?" Beat snapped. He had to give his heart a few seconds to calm down before he decided to answer Shiki's question. "I'm jus' listenin' to Phones's music, tha's all."

"He's been in there for a long time, hasn't he?" Shiki asked. She sounded concerned for her antisocial friend. It wasn't like him to stay cooped up in his room for so long, especially blasting his tunes loud enough for all to hear rather than through his headphones. Even Shiki could feel the pounding bass through the wall, without having to press her ear to it.

"Yo, if you wanna check on him, jus' do it," Beat said as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Shiki sighed to herself. "I don't want to bother him, you know?"

"Man, screw that. If you're so worried, I'll go make sure he's aight, aight?" Beat shot back, starting to sound annoyed. Shiki shrugged, seeing no reason to protest. At least she could stay out of Neku's line of fire if he got mad.

With that, Beat navigated the couches and tables scattered around the Sakurabas' living room and made his way to the hallway that would take him to Neku's bedroom. Shiki, unable to fight back her feelings of worry, followed quietly.

Eventually, they got to the door, the gateway of truth. The music was clearer than ever; if Beat were to open the door, it was very unlikely that Neku would hear him.

_It's like a noise on radio_

_You cannot see_

_But you can feel it_

Slowly, the blond skateboarder turned the brass knob and pushed the door open just enough for him to just barely see what was going on inside.

The first thing he noticed was that the room was dark. The lights were off, except for a dim, rectangular glow that was likely being emitted from some music player or something.

The second thing he noticed was Neku.

Beat immediately slammed the door shut and pressed his back against it, as though stopping its secrets from escaping. He instantly remembered that he was supposed to be stealthy and listened intently for any change inside the room.

_All the choice you make_

_Are the only truth you'll know_

Both teens let out a sigh of relief. The music was still playing at full volume.

"What did you see?" Shiki asked, her voice dropped to a whisper despite the fact that Neku would never be able to hear her even if she was shouting. Beat couldn't really hear her either, but it wasn't necessary.

"He's _dancin'_ in there, yo," Beat hissed. Shiki raised an eyebrow and pointed to her ear. Beat rolled his eyes and repeated his remark, this time at a higher volume and with a more fervent tone.

"So what?" Shiki asked with a shrug, now talking normally rather than whispering.

"I mean, like crazy!" Beat shot back. "I didn't know Phones was that _good_!"

Shiki bit her lower lip and tried to fight back thoughts of Neku breakdancing to rock songs with emo lyrics, but eventually, her curiosity got the better of her. She did her best to worm her way past the hulking blond in front of the door and pushed it back open.

She gasped quietly when she managed to catch a quick glimpse of Neku waving his arms and spinning on his heels. His eyes were closed, and his mouth moved to match the words of the song in silence. Neku was jumping around and shaking his hips like Shiki had never seen, pulling off all kinds of moves she didn't even know existed.

Much like Beat had, she quickly closed the door, only this time, it was just as the song was coming to an end. The _slam_ of wood on wood seemed to echo quite loudly in the resulting silence, and the next song never played.

"Shiki? Is that you?" Neku called out.

Shiki squeaked in fear and fled down the hallway, leaving Beat standing there as Neku's footsteps were rapidly approaching the door. He searched his brain for ideas in vain, right up until the last second, at which point he simply followed Shiki to seek refuge in anonymity.

Neku opened the door, swung his head round, and searched the hallway for any signs of life. Finding none, he shrugged, ducked back inside, closed the door, and locked it this time. With a press of the play button on his speakers, fitted to play songs on his mp3 player, a fresh song started playing, this one actually much slower and calmer than the last. Neku grinned to himself as he got a feel for the beat.

_You know our love was meant to be_

_The kind of love to last forever_

_And I want you here with me_

_From tonight until the end of time_

Neku would never let anyone hear him listening to slow and sappy love songs like this, especially not Shiki, since the song reminded him of her so much and he would surely blush at the sight of her. That was mostly why he had to check when he heard his door slam, but even if the mousy brunette _was _there at one point, she had since left, and he was free to dance a slow dance to one of his favorite love songs.

Suddenly, he heard a noise just outside his window, which was covered by purple curtains at the time (matching the decor of much of his other furniture). The noise in question sounded like the rustling of the bushes just outside, only louder and sharper. Someone was spying on him!

Neku reacted instantly and stopped the song. No one could ever see him dancing to that song! Nobody! He then threw the curtains open and searched fervently for whoever had been watching him.

There was no one to be found.

* * *

><p>"I told you to be quiet!" Chieftan snapped. His rookie teammate for the mission grinned sheepishly.<p>

"Sorry, man," Spin apologized. "I just wanted a closer look, ya know?"

"Yes, well, you almost jeopardized the entire thing," the older agent retorted.

"But didja see those _moves_?" Spin asked, quickly getting excited. "That kid's just what we need!"

Chieftain pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Remind me why you dragged me all the way here? We travel enough as it is. Unless one of the agents speaks Japanese, this is going to be a serious thorn in my side from here on out, I can just tell."

Spin rolled his eyes. "Jeez, Chief, relax. We can always get some Ouendan guy to translate for us." He elbowed his superior in the side, causing Chieftain's scowl to deepen even further. "Have fun with it!"

"You know as well as I do that the agency is serious business," Chieftain grumbled. "Expert agents have saved countless-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Spin said, laughing to himself and shaking his head. "I know the spiel. Just chill out and everything'll work out fine, aight?"

The older agent gave another mighty sigh. "Well, what do you suggest we do now?"

* * *

><p>I don't own TWEWY or EBA. The songs are Unreal by Black Rose Garden and You're the Inspiration by Chicago. I don't own those either.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Neku stretched his arms with a loud, tired groan as he strode down the bedroom hallway, trademark headphones resting around his neck. He was exhausted and thirsty, so he was heading to the kitchen for a soda. A quick look at the clock in the hall revealed it to be 6:30 PM, so maybe he would stroll down to Ramen Don if he was feeling particularly hungry after a short rest.

As he made his way through the living room, he couldn't help but notice his friends, who were sitting on the leather couch to the side and staring at him awkwardly.

"What's up?" Neku asked.

Shiki and Beat exchanged nervous glances, and Shiki quickly said, "Nothing's up! Why, should something be up?"

"Yeah, man," Beat added, "we're just watchin' TV, y'know?"

Neku looked from Shiki's unusually nervous expression to the flat-screen television in the corner of the room, which was off.

"Uh, guys?" Neku asked.

"We were just gonna turn it on, yo!" Beat said, rather hurriedly. With that, he reached for the remote, and Neku shrugged as he continued his path towards the kitchen. He knew that his friends were acting suspiciously, but one of them was sure to fess up eventually if it was anything particularly serious. Neku figured he had no reason to worry.

However, he _was_ concerned about the mystery rustling noise at his window earlier. He tried to tell himself it was just the wind, but something was nagging at the back of his mind that there was something else going on.

* * *

><p>"Quick, climb in!" Spin whispered, loud enough for Chieftain to hear him, as he opened the window leading to Neku's bedroom, which just happened to be unlocked. The plan had suddenly jumped to the agent's mind, and he wasn't going to let it go. He knew this one was a winner!<p>

Chieftain shot Spin an angry look. "Are you _crazy_?" he snapped. "Breaking and entering, Spin?"

"We gotta surprise 'im!" Spin said, his grin widening. "C'mon, let's go! He could be back any minute now!"

"Enough of this charade!" Chieftain grumbled, shaking his head. "This isn't even an official mission! You just got a tip from a scruffy Japanese man that there were plenty of trustworthy kids in Shibuya who enjoy music as much as you do, and you forced me to ride with you on the helicopter, WHICH, I might add, is agency property!"

Spin looked back at his superior and flashed him a thumbs-up. "Whatever, man! I'm goin' in, whether you're with me or not!"

"Well, _I'm_ going back to the headquarters," Chieftain continued. "You can get your own ride home, rookie."

By that point, Spin wasn't listening, and was halfway through the window into Neku's bedroom.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Neku, we're heading out for ice cream, alright?" Shiki called out. Beat was already heading out the door when Neku shouted back a quick " 'Kay, have fun!" before digging back into his ramen. He didn't feel like anything fancy, so he had just bought some insta-noodles and made them at home.<p>

He was in the kitchen, having been too tired to balance a hot bowl of ramen all the way across the house to his bedroom. It was nice and peaceful, and especially quiet now that Shiki and Beat had stepped out for snacks of their own.

Neku was just snagging another chopstick-full when he heard a loud crash coming from his bedroom.

Clicking into battle mode instantly, he instinctively reached for his pocket, where he used to keep his most valuable pins, only to realize that he wasn't still in the Reapers' Game. With a sigh, he found a baseball bat in the living room and tiptoed down the hall.

Once Neku reached the door to his room, he slammed it open and shouted, "Bring it!"

The black-suited African American man laying sprawled face-down on the floor in front of the (open) window looked up at Neku and gave a sheepish grin. He quickly got to his feet and fumbled for his badge.

"Who the hell are you?" Neku shouted angrily. He wasn't the least bit afraid, thanks to all the battle instincts so fiercely drilled into his head from all those Noise battles.

Spin's guard was completely thrown. Neku had spoken Japanese, so of course the agent didn't understand it. The universal language of expressions got his message through loud and clear, though.

"I-I'm Agent S-Spin!" the intruder stammered, flashing Neku a nervous grin as well as his EBA badge. He didn't really know what he would accomplish by speaking English, but he had to try. "Elite Beat Agent BA-5!"

Neku lowered his bat and raised an eyebrow. "Elite Beat Agent?" he repeated cautiously. He cast a blue eye to the agent's golden badge; it was well-shined and pretty nice-looking, but he didn't recognize it.

"Y-Yeah!" Spin said, nodding quickly. "Do you...speak English?"

"Of course I do," Neku snapped, in English this time. Spin breathed a sigh of relief. Though Neku's accent was still clear, he seemed to speak the language of America pretty fluently. "What are you doing here?" Neku asked. He was still on high alert, but this Agent Spin seemed cooperative enough.

Spin took a deep breath to calm himself down. No turning back now. "I was watchin' you, kiddo!"

"You were the one at the window, weren't you?" Neku snapped.

Spin flinched back visibly. "Yeah, that was me." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Sorry 'bout that."

"You've got thirty seconds to convince me not to call the cops," Neku grumbled.

The agent took another deep breath, quicker this time, and pulled off his best reassuring smile (perfected from months of drills). "The Elite Beat Agents're all about inspiration. You need skills, you need moves, and most importantly, you need _rhythm_." He leaned his head in such a way that the sunlight from the window to his right cast a dramatic flare across the lenses.

"You got all three, kid, better than any newbie I've seen. We want you on our team!"

* * *

><p>I don't own TWEWY or EBA.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

The more Neku talked to Agent Spin, the more they trusted each other. The first thing to initiate true conversation was the two's sharing of headphones, which gradually evolved into discussion of their favorite bands, few of which they shared; the conversation was entertaining all the same. Most importantly, Neku managed to steer it away from the agency for the time being. He wanted to make sure he could trust Spin first.

Eventually, Neku's desire to broaden his horizons outweighed his instinct to call the police. He had called his parents and informed them that he was going out to "hang with friends," which they believed with little hassle, and Neku and Spin moved to WildKat where they could talk in peace, without Shiki or Beat asking too many questions.

Mr. Hanekoma wasn't around, but he did leave a note on the counter for his customers (particularly Neku and co.) to find:

_Out traveling.  
>Be back in two weeks or so.<br>Phones, the muffins are in the back.  
>Mr. H<em>

When Spin questioned the meaning of the note, Neku explained that Mr. H leaves to do some exploring every once in a while, and he always entrusts Neku with a spare key to the cafe within a day or two of his departure. He also always gives Neku five free muffins to make up for the lost coffee. The barista still has his moments, though, and every once in a while, he charges Neku for most of the delicious pastries.

Neku retrieved a banana nut muffin from the cafe's back room and offered Spin one as well, which the agent graciously accepted. The two sat down at one of the booths and ate in silence for a short while, until Neku finally spoke up.

"So, Spin. That's a code name, right?" he asked, making sure not to repeat Beat's tendency to talk with his mouth full.

"Bingo," Spin said with a grin. "Can't tell ya my real name unless you're in the agency."

"About that..." Neku started. He sighed and set his half-eaten muffin down. "You said you wanted me to join, right?"

Spin's smirk widened, and he nodded. "You got serious moves, Phones."

"Don't you start calling me that too!" Neku said, laughing. "That had better not be my code name."

"So is that a yes?" the rookie agent asked.

"It's hypothetical, _Phones_," Neku shot back lightheartedly. The two were laughing at each other's jokes like old friends. There was something about Agent Spin that made him seem incredibly trustworthy, and there was something about Neku that made him seem deeper than the emo image he put up with his headphones.

"If ya got questions, ask 'em," Spin said around a bite of his muffin. Neku stealthily rolled his eyes.

"What the hell do you guys even _do_?" Neku asked, almost immediately. "You said I need rhythm, and you're called the Elite _Beat_ Agents...what, are you an underground cult of DJs?"

"Nope," Spin chuckled. "We solve problems all over the world through the power of music and dance." Neku's eyebrows shot up as Spin continued. "The EBA's powers are legendary back in the west. When the cry for help goes up, we head out and inspire our clients to victory in whatever they're doing."

"By...dancing?" Neku asked. Doubt was written all over his face, but in his eyes, there was a glimmer of interest.

"I know it sounds weird, but trust me, it's great." Spin smiled softly. "The song you were dancing to earlier..."

"You mean You're the Inspiration?" Neku asked sheepishly. Busted...

"Yeah, nearly brought a tear to my eye jus' listening to it," Spin said. He looked down at the table, his face that of a man recalling a distant memory long since locked away. "We brought a little girl's dad back from the dead so he could see his family on Christmas." Spin looked back up at Neku. "It's times like that where you really learn what the job's all about, y'know?"

Neku wasn't sure quite what to say. Bringing someone back from the dead was pretty heavy stuff. Was music really that powerful? His life was certainly more or less defined by it...

"Not to mention the Rhombulan invasion," Spin continued. "Don't you remember that? They took over the whole planet."

"Not Japan," Neku said with a shake of his head. "I saw the news about it, but we were saved." He gave a shrug and downed the rest of his muffin. "That was you guys orchestrating the whole rebellion?" He seemed genuinely interested.

"Yup!" Spin said happily. "I can't believe you guys didn't get turned to stone." The agent noticed the slightly eager expression on Neku's face and told himself he needed to get serious if he wanted to recruit the orange-haired boy.

"Most of the recruits from Japan join the Ouendan," Spin said. "We don't get too many Japanese in the EBA, y'know?"

"Yeah, I've heard of them," Neku said, nodding quickly. "Never seen them in action, though. Up until today, I thought they were just a bunch of rumors."

"So you believe me, huh?" Spin asked. He smiled and started mentally running through the rules about trainees. "Y'know, you get to pick your own songs for practice missions."

Neku folded his arms on the table in front of him and hummed thoughtfully. "Really?"

"Yup."

"How much free time would I get?"

_Score!_ Spin thought. First person questions were always great signs. Agent Spin was sent on the most recruiting missions because of his infectious happiness. He made the agency sound like a party rather than a job, which was how he saw it. He may still have been a rookie when it came to his moves, but his newbie catch rate (as some of the agents affectionately called it) was way up there with the big guns'.

"Depends on the missions for the day," Spin explained. "Most rookies average...mm, about three a day, 'n' each mission is as long as the song ya pick. The rest 'a your time is all yours."

Neku thought it over carefully. He started dreaming up excuses he would be able to use if he was called to duty in the middle of something, mentally listing off the people who would believe him if he had to tell the truth. That was when something clicked in his head.

"Wait a minute," Neku started. Spin looked up and carefully watched the boy's expression, making sure that eager interest was still there. "You said that Japanese recruits usually join the Ouendan, right?"

Spin nodded silently.

"Why did you come here and not one of them?"

"My buddy J and I were talking about the lull in newbie catches when this guy wearing a black vest and shades overheard us. He said there were plenty 'a kids here in Shibuya I could check out. He had a pretty thick Jap accent, so I figured he knew what he was talkin' about." Spin looked up at the ceiling as he did his best to recall the exact event. "He said I should 'broaden my horizons' or somethin'."

"Ah, Mr. Hanekoma!" Neku said with a snap of his fingers. He laughed a bit to himself. "Doesn't surprise me. Mr. H has always been pretty mysterious."

Spin blinked a few times behind his shades. "Mr. H? As in, the guy who runs this cafe?"

"Mm-hm. I bet he even recommended me specifically."

"Heh, he _did_ say I should look out for a kid with spiky orange hair..."

Neku met Spin's shades-covered eyes and grinned. "Mr. H knows what he's doing. Two of my friends own him their lives." He extended his hand across the table and nodded.

"I'm in."

* * *

><p>I don't own TWEWY or EBA.<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

"Chief!" Spin shouted happily as he and Neku walked up to the helicopter. "I knew ya wouldn't leave me, buddy!"

"I never leave a teammate behind," Chieftain said flatly.

Neku looked up at the burly agent with awe. He hadn't seen someone so big since his encounters with Higashizawa. "You're the chief?" he asked.

"Chieftain is my code name."

"Oh," Neku said. Unsure of what else to do, he extended a hand towards the muscular cowboy, which Chieftain promptly shook, his grip stronger than Neku expected. "I'm N-Neku. Neku Sakuraba."

Chieftain grunted in response and scooted over against the wall to make room for the other two. Thankfully, the helicopter was made to accommodate three people, and Neku had no trouble fitting in with his twiggy frame. Spin sat in the middle and leaned back against the leather seat.

"Is he always this friendly?" Neku whispered in Spin's ear.

The agent snickered as quietly as he could. "Ya get used to it."

The helicopter flight back to the EBA central HQ was relatively awkward for Neku, but he did manage to get more information out of Agent Spin. The vehicle they were riding in, in addition to most of the agency's transportation, was fitted with special engines. Neither of the two agents Neku was riding with knew much about how they worked, but they warped space somehow to allow them to travel great distances much faster than normal. The extraordinary engines were the secret to the Elite Beat Agents' success.

The more experienced agents were sent to patrol areas far away from any EBA building, so even the most distant clients could get the boost of inspiration they need. Otherwise, agents were expected to rise to any call for help at a moment's notice, and under the instruction of Commander Kahn, they would be dispatched to specific locations when a mission arose. Without a way to go the vast distances between one's current location and that of the client in time to offer their services, the agency would be out of business in the blink of an eye.

Not that they ever charged, of course. The Elite Beat Agents stood for justice and world peace, not monetary gain. Most of the agents had separate jobs, and donations (which were fairly common) were divided amongst those who needed them. On top of that, there were always volunteers, mostly former clients and retired agents.

Neku had little trouble believing all that, considering what he'd been through, but he was curious as to what other fantastic technologies the EBA took advantage of. He couldn't help but press the question to Spin, who grinned as he thought through all the miniscule gadgets and gizmos embedded in his suit (mostly for communication and playing music), trying to sort through which ones he could tell Neku about.

"We've got a time machine," he said, finally. Neku's attention was immediately held in Spin's vice-like grip. "You know what the Mona Lisa is, right?" Spin continued.

"Duh, who doesn't?" Neku said.

"It was a pretty sweet love story, and I mean like, 'awww' sweet, y'know? Leo fell in love with Lisa, and wanted t' paint her picture, but Lisa wouldn't smile for 'im, right?"

Neku's jaw practically dropped to the cockpit's floor. "You helped Leonardo da Vinci win Lisa's heart so he could paint the Mona Lisa?"

Spin nodded eagerly, clearly enjoying the orangette's shock.

"That's...insane," Neku laughed as he leaned back into his seat, trying to imagine three suited agents dancing around like idiots while da Vinci painted away. It wasn't an easy image for him to conjure, and he quickly stifled another laugh, at Spin's expense. The more he thought about this, the less sure he was that it wouldn't end with his humiliation, and yet the more curious he was about his situation.

"Leonardo drove me crazy," Chieftain commented dryly. "He must have forced that blasted catch phrase of his down our throats dozens of times." The burly agent rolled his eyes.

When Neku asked what Leo's catch phrase was, Spin shoved a thumbs-up in his face and shouted, "VOLCANOOOOO!" in the fakest Italian accent Neku had ever heard. He and Spin burst out laughing, and Chieftain just grumbled something unintelligible as he brought the helicopter in for a landing.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Beat!" Shiki called out from the kitchen. "Neku isn't answering his phone!"<p>

Beat turned the volume down on Neku's television. "He's fine, Shiki! Stop worryin'!"

"But he always answers his phone..."

Just then, both teens' cells beeped at the same time, and both of them flipped their respective phones open to see the same text message from Neku:

_josh wants me for something, said i might b gone all day. ill try 2 get back by tonite so my folks dont get 2 worried. dont mess up the house 2 much. ttyl._

"See, whaddid I tell ya?" Beat asked with a smirk. He kicked off his size-13 sneakers and stretched his legs out over the couch. "We got the place to ourselves, yo. We lucky! Chill out, will ya?"

Shiki shouted an affirmative, but she couldn't fight off the feeling that something was wrong. Even if Neku was telling the truth, there was no telling what Joshua would want of him. After a second reading of Neku's message, trying to decipher hidden clues that she knew weren't there, she typed up a text of her own to their slippery friend.

* * *

><p>The trip, in its entirety, only took an hour or so. Right as the three were getting off the helicopter and heading out into the field of landing pads, Chieftain muttered something into an earpiece that Neku hadn't noticed until then and quickly muttered an apology.<p>

"Mission time?" Spin asked excitedly.

Chieftain nodded silently and ran ahead of the other two, into the headquarters sprawled out in front of them. It was then that Neku really got a good look at the building. There wasn't really much to say about it: the walls were gray, the doors were gray, and everything was square and uninteresting. Neku had expected an organization built around song to be a bit more...frivolous, to say the least.

"I know it ain't much to look at," Spin explained, seeing the slightly troubled look on Neku's face, "but you gotta remember that we're basically a charity. If we get any spare cash for renovations, it goes to the inside, y'know?"

Neku gave a nod as he followed Spin up to the entrance. His head was swiveling around every which way as he tried to take in every detail as fast as he could. Depending on others to find his way around did not at all sound pleasant.

* * *

><p><em>Of course, he's right here with me. No need to worry, Shiki.<em>

She didn't buy it, not for one second. There was something fishy going on here; if the two boys were carrying out one of Joshua's schemes, and there wasn't anything unusual happening, Neku would have answered his phone a long time ago. Shiki's fingers danced across the phone's keys as she hammered out a reply.

_have him call me then!_

Joshua's reply was nearly instantaneous. Shiki nearly dropped her phone when it beeped in her face no more than two seconds after she had hit Send.

_No can do._

Those simple three words only increased Shiki's suspicion. Sure, Joshua had a tendency to keep secrets, but what could he possibly want with Neku if he couldn't even explain the situation to someone who was supposed to be his friend?

_why not?_

_Because I'm very busy, and so is he. I will return your boyfriend by tonight, promise._

_HE'S NOT MY BOYFRIEND!  
><em>

Joshua smirked at the glowing screen of his expensive orange phone. Subject successfully changed.

_If you say so, dear. Ta-ta for now, okay?_

Shiki growled in exasperation. Whoever said that women are impossible to understand never met Yoshiya Kiryu.

* * *

><p>I don't own TWEWY or EBA.<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

"Three things every new recruit'll need: a suit, a code name, and a song."

Neku nodded dutifully. He and Spin rounded another corner. Where they were going, Neku wasn't sure, but they passed dozens of agents, some in uniform and some in casual clothes (Spin explained that they're either preparing for a particularly tricky recruit mission and need to blend in, or they're simply on break). A few were wearing headphones much like Spin's - not all agents had the innate sense of rhythm that made the experts soar above the rest.

As the two were chatting about the general goings-on of the agency, something caught Neku's eye.

* * *

><p>Joshua stared down at his phone as he raked his mind for ideas. He couldn't at all guarantee that Neku would be back by nighttime. After all, he was only covering for Neku under Sanae's instructions. It had been a long time since Joshua had been quite so troubled.<p>

Just where was Sanae, anyway? He had simply disappeared one day, the only evidence of his intentions left as a single, ambiguous note on WildKat's counter. He _always_ told Joshua where he was going, but apparently, his adventures for today were top secret.

Joshua's thumb hovered over one of the buttons, the one with Sanae's number stored on speed dial. The barista hadn't answered the first three calls, but maybe...?

With a deep breath and a quick cross of the fingers, Joshua tried one last time. The phone rang once, twice, three times...

"What's up, J?"

He nearly dropped the phone in surprise. "S-Sanae! What have you been doing all this time?"

On the other line, Sanae raked a hand through his hair. "Stuff," he answered vaguely.

Joshua couldn't help but pout. Why was he being so difficult? "Where are you?" he asked, a slight edge to his tone.

"Didn't you see the note? I'm travelin'."

"More specific, Sanae."

The barista gave a light sigh. "Don't worry about me, boss."

With that, the line went dead. Joshua scowled at the orange phone's display, with its bold red letters announcing the end of the call. Perhaps Shiki was right to be suspicious after all.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Spin. What's in there?"<p>

Spin stopped short of the next turn and followed Neku's gaze. The door was unlabeled, like so many others, but through the window, behind the veil of darkness, Neku could make out the faint outlines of two people: one was sitting completely still, while the other paced about the room. He thought he heard music, but it was quickly silenced.

"Mm," Spin hummed. He considered his answer carefully and shoved one hand in his pocket. "A special recruit. Needs his quiet time, y'know?"

While he couldn't fathom how an Elite Beat Agent would need time _away_ from music, Neku certainly understood the value of occasional alone time.

Anticipating further questions, Spin quickly changed the subject. "Got any ideas for your code name yet?"

A faint grin played on Neku's lips. "Yeah. No matter what I come up with, nothing really sounds right, except for one thing..."

" 'Cept for what?" Spin asked. He returned the grin; maybe he already knew the answer.

* * *

><p>"Beat!" Shiki hissed, quickly closing the window curtains in front of her. "His mom's coming up the driveway!"<p>

Beat shouted a quick swear and jumped off the couch. While the two spent plenty of time at Neku's house (and that certainly wasn't a problem now), both of them knew that Neku's mother liked her house to be clean.

Always the smooth one, Beat grabbed the two cracker boxes and started to hide them under the carpet, but with a scolding from Shiki, raced across the house to throw them in the trash can in the kitchen. Shiki snatched up all the plates and bowls and carefully placed them in the sink.

Beat and Shiki both shoved their shoes in the corner of the room by the front door just as they heard footsteps on the porch. They lept onto the couch and did their best to look comfortable and focused on the TV as though nothing had happened, and the door opened.

"Yo, Ms. S!" Beat said happily, turning around and resting his arms on the couch.

"Hey, Beat," Neku's mother, Taniko Sakuraba, said with a nod in the skateboarder's direction. "Is Rhyme around too?"

"No, just me!" said Shiki. "We were just watching the house until Neku got back."

"Oh, he's still out?" Taniko asked. "Do you know where he is?"

Shiki and Beat exchanged a nervous glance. "He's out wit' Josh," Beat said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Ask him, yo."

Taniko smiled, set her purse down on the table, and tossed her faux leather jacket onto the back of one of the chairs. "I won't bother him. He knows he should be back by midnight, anyway." She cast a quick glance at the digital clock next to the television - 4:37. Neku had plenty of time, and his mother wasn't worried in the slightest. It was very much like Neku to stay out all night.

* * *

><p>"Oh, hi!" Missy said with a clap of her hands. "Catch another one?"<p>

"You bet." Spin patted Neku on the shoulder and grinned widely. "This here's Neku."

"Neku, huh?" Missy repeated. She tilted her head to the side like a curious puppy. "That's a weird name."

"It's Japanese," Neku said flatly. He almost couldn't wait until he could start going by his code name, since he anticipated that many agents to come would make the same observation.

"Oh, wow!" Missy's eyes lit up. "I haven't seen anyone from Japan since the Ouendan stopped by, and that was _months_ ago! Where are you from, Neku? Like, specifically?"

"Shibuya born and raised," he replied. "It's, uh, a great place, I guess." He gave a neutral shrug and wondered how many people would ask him the same question in the future. It was becoming increasingly obvious just how out-of-place he really was.

Missy giggled a bit and flicked one of her braids behind her shoulders. "Well, it's nice to meet you! Agent Missy, here!" She flashed him a quick wink before turning back to Spin. "So he needs a suit, huh?"

"I think it'll need t' be a custom job, Miss." Spin turned a critical eye to Neku, his gaze invisible behind his shades. Neku tried not to wince; was he really that skinny? He inwardly hoped that the average age of the agents was just higher than his, but judging from who he'd seen so far, that wasn't likely.

Missy repeated Spin's actions and hummed quite loudly. "I dunno, Spin. Maybe I can find something." With that, she whirled around, braids twirling in a wide arc, and made her way to the back of the room, glancing around at the racks filled with nearly identical black suits.

"Missy's in charge of uniform stuff," Spin explained to Neku while they waited. "You tear somethin' or break one 'a the speakers, you go to her, got it?"

Neku nodded. "Yeah, I got it."

"Found one!" Missy practically sang; she grabbed one of the uniforms from a rack and held it up to Neku. "Hmmmmm...It might be kind of a close call, but try it on anyway and tell me if it fits."

Neku ran his hand over the cloth. It wasn't the softest thing in the word, but certainly less stiff than other suits he'd seen before.

"There are really tiny speakers built into the collar and stuff," Missy pointed out. "Commander Kahn picks a song for each mission and sends it to all the tech in the suit." She gave a cute smile and pushed her glasses - lens-less, probably just for show - higher up on her nose. "You can talk to Foxx if you want to know more about how it all works. She's the one who came up with most of it."

"That's fine," Neku muttered. While he would admit that the uniform was more impressive than he would've guessed just from looking at it, he couldn't care less about the inner workings.

* * *

><p>With a press of a button, the music stopped, and so did the screaming. Finally, the room fell silent.<p>

"Rrgh...th-thank you."

"No prob. How's your hand?"

"I can feel it now." He gave his gloved fingers a tentative flex, working out all the stiffness. "That was...better, right?"

His chaperone nodded. "Better in ev'ry sense of the word, boss."

* * *

><p>I don't own TWEWY or EBA.<p> 


End file.
